Active cleaning device for seismic streamers and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9254509-B2
Application number	US-201213440349-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 5, 2012
Priority date	Apr 5, 2012
Publication date	Feb 9, 2016
Grant date	Feb 9, 2016

Abstract

A cleaning device for cleaning a marine streamer towed underwater and related methods are provided. The cleaning device includes a housing configured to be attached to the streamer, a motor mounted inside the housing, a propeller configured be rotated by the motor and to drive the housing along and relative to the streamer in a towing direction, and a controller configured to control the motor and the propeller.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cleaning device for cleaning a marine streamer that is towed underwater, the cleaning device comprising:
a housing configured to be attached to the marine streamer;
a motor mounted inside the housing;
a propeller configured to be rotated by the motor to drive the housing along and relative to the streamer in a towing direction; and
a controller configured to control the motor and the propeller.

2. The cleaning device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a mechanism configured to attach the housing to the streamer and to clean the streamer when the housing moves along and relative to the streamer, the mechanism including one or more contaminant-removing elements selected from a group including brush rings, clamp rings and press wheels.

3. The cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning device is configured to clean a portion of the streamer by moving back and forth, in the towing direction and in a direction opposite to the towing direction along and relative to the streamer, and
the housing moves relative to the streamer in the direction opposite to the towing direction due to a water flow caused by towing the streamer underwater.

4. The cleaning device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a battery connected to the motor and configured to provide power to the motor.

5. The cleaning device of claim 4 , wherein the controller controls the propeller and the motor to recharge the battery while the housing is stationary relative to the streamer.

6. The cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the motor and the propeller to move the housing along the streamer at predetermined time intervals, upon receiving a command, or upon receiving an indication that a cleaning operation is desirable.

7. The cleaning device of claim 6 , wherein the indication is generated by a bio-fouling monitoring function.

8. The cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the propeller has foldable blades and the controller is configured to control the propeller to be temporarily folded while the housing is stationary relative to the streamer.

9. The cleaning device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a streamer rescue device mounted inside the housing.

10. The cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the housing and a streamer rescue device are mounted on the streamer on opposite sides of one or more ring-type structures.

11. The cleaning device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a fastening mechanism configured to affix the housing to the streamer while a cleaning operation is not performed, wherein the controller is configured to actuate the fastening mechanism.

12. The cleaning device of claim 11 , wherein the fastening mechanism includes at least one latch.

13. The cleaning device of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one of,
a position sensor connected to the controller and configured to monitor a position of the cleaning device relative to the streamer; and
a transmitter connected to the controller and configured to communicate with surrounding devices mounted on the streamer or on other streamers to enable the controller to determine the position of the cleaning device based on information received from the surrounding devices.

14. The cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to control a moving speed of the housing along the streamer.

15. A streamer towed underwater to perform a marine seismic surveying, comprising:
a cable-like structure hosting seismic sensors;
positioning devices configured to adjust a depth and a horizontal position of the cable-like structure and mounted at different locations on the cable-like structure; and
one or more cleaning devices attached to the cable-like structure and configured each to clean a respective portion of the cable-like structure, between neighboring positioning devices, wherein at least one cleaning device has (A) a housing attached to the cable-like structure via at least one of brush rings, clamp rings and press wheels, (B) a propeller and (C) a motor configured to rotate the propeller to drive the housing along and relative to the cable-like structure in a towing direction,
wherein the housing is configured to move in a direction opposite to the towing direction along and relative to the streamer due to a water flow caused by towing the streamer underwater.

16. A method for cleaning a portion of a streamer, the method comprising:
mounting a cleaning device on the portion of the streamer, the cleaning device having,
(A) a housing configured to be attached to the streamer via a mechanism including at least one of brush rings, clamp rings and press wheels and to clean the exterior of the streamer when moving along thereof,
(B) a motor mounted inside the housing, and
(C)a propeller connected to be rotated by the motor and sealed outside the housing, the propeller being configured to drive the housing along and relative to the streamer in a towing direction; and

controlling the motor and the propeller to move the cleaning device between a first position at one end of the portion and a second position at an opposite end of the portion in the towing direction.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the propeller has foldable blades, the method further including:
controlling the propeller to have the blades folded when the housing is stationary relative to the streamer.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the cleaning device further include a fastening mechanism to affix the housing to the streamer when the cleaning device is stationary relative to the streamer, the method further including
actuating the fastening mechanism.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the fastening mechanism includes two latches, the actuating including
actuating first a first latch to engage with a first station stopper on the streamer, the first station stopper being located closer to a towing vessel than a second station stopper, and
actuating a second latch to engage the second station stopper.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the cleaning device further includes a battery connected to the motor and configured to provide power to the motor, and the propeller is foldable, the method further including:
controlling the propeller and the motor to recharge the battery while the housing is stationary relative to the streamer if the battery is not fully charged; and
folding the blades of the propeller while the housing is stationary relative to the streamer if the battery is fully charged.

Assignees

• Wu Zhaohong
• Cggveritas Services Sa

Inventors

• Wu Zhaohong

Classifications

• G01V13/00

  Manufacturing, calibrating, cleaning, or repairing instruments or devices covered by groups G01V1/00 – G01V11/00 · CPC title

• G01V1/38

  specially adapted for water-covered areas (G01V1/28 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B08B9/023

  Cleaning the external surfaces {(B08B9/021 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B08B1/008 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B08B1/30 Primary

  by movement of cleaning members over a surface · CPC title